It is known to define a vehicle body window opening by welding together flanged edges of inner and outer vehicle body panels. It is also known to mount a vehicle window panel on the flanged vehicle body window opening by installing a bead of curable adhesive along the flange and then inserting the window panel against the adhesive. When the adhesive cures the adhesive bonds to both the window panel and the adjacent flange of the outer panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,363, issued July 19, 1989 to Peter Gold, and entitled Window Retention Systems for Automotive Vehicles, discloses a plurality of holes provided in the vehicle body flange and a plurality of retaining elements in the form of hollow cylinders which are attached to the inner surface of the flange. The retaining elements have interior portions thereof in communication with the holes in the flange for receiving the curable adhesive. The cross-section of the interior portion is greater than the cross-section of the holes in the flange so that a mechanical interlock is formed between the curable adhesive and the inner surface of the flange.
The present invention provides a new and improved window retention system which obviates the need for the cylinder like retaining elements employed in the Gold patent.